Let’s raise a toast to autumn’s great weather, cooler temps, and smaller crowds, all making this the perfect time to savor a delicious and unique PA craft brew. We’ve compiled a sample of several picturesque PA beer gardens. Drink it in. Then, visit one, two or all twenty. Cheers!
1. Ship Bottom Beer Garden
Media
Linvilla Orchards has teamed up with Ship Bottom Brewery to bring you signature refreshments at their Ship Bottom Beer Garden. Open Friday-Sunday, pair their great tasting craft brews with a few fun rounds of Corn Hole and Giant Four-in-a-row during the day, then warm up next to a mean bonfire at night, making it the ultimate spot to unwind and share a pint with friends. Best of all, select ales are crafted using Linvilla’s own farm-grown products, making each sip truly unique.
2. Clarion River Brewing Company
Clarion
Nestled in the heart of historic downtown Clarion, the award-winning Clarion River Brewing Company invites you to belly up to the bar, take your pick from their list of craft beers that are brewed on-site, and then kick back and relax at their aptly named Back Alley Brew Yard located at the rear of the building. Pair your brew with some tasty bites, such as their buffalo chicken dip or other delicious item from their full menu. Did we mention their beverage menu includes a full slate of signature cocktails, wine, and even local meads!
3. Brew Gentlemen’s Pop-Up Beer Gardens
Finleyville
Braddock’s Brew Gentlemen has teamed up with Trax Farms for Hops & Hayrides every Friday afternoon through the end of October. This family-friendly event features BG’s award-winning craft beer and hayrides, along with food trucks, yard games, a three-acre corn maze, and bonfire !
4. Independence Beer Garden
Philadelphia
Overlooking the Liberty Bell and Independence National Historic Park and open daily, the Schulson Collective, Independence Beer Garden features rotating taps of regional and domestic craft beers. Plan to visit often to see the newest beers being featured both on tap and in cans, along with a nice selection of delicious cocktails, wine, and “boozy pop.” Pair your favorite libation with one of their snacks, salads, sandwiches, or sweets while relaxing in the midst of Philadelphia history.
5. Hotel Bradford Brew House and Beer Garden
Sayre
Tucked away in northern PA, the Hotel Bradford Brew House and Beer Garden provides a welcoming retreat filled with great beer and food. Adding to the fun is live music on select nights and Tuesday night Trivia. Perfect for fall, their delicious pumpkin beer will soon be making its debut.
6. Fair Chance Beer Garden
Philadelphia
If you didn’t know that Eastern State Penitentiary was a beer destination, now you do! The legendary prison is serving up sips in addition to scary stories this fall at The Fair Chance Beer Garden founded in partnership with Triple Bottom Brewing Company. If you're going to be hearing about the historical haunts of the prison, you might as well bring some hoppiness with you.
7. Nostrovia Brewing Company
Erie
The folks at Nostrovia Brewing Company invite you to plunk down your lawn chair by their wood-burning fire pit, kick back, relax, and raise a glass to cheer on fall with one of their signature brews during Friday Night Fires. Drawing inspiration from their Polish heritage and its great brewing tradition, Nostrovia craft brews are the perfect blend of “old world” and “new.” Celebrate friends, family, and the fall season with their Pumpkin Ale or a Lawn Mower Lager – each of which pairs perfectly with their smoked pulled pork sandwich or pierogi bowl.
8. Church Brew Works
Pittsburgh
What was once a former Catholic church is now a lofty indoor space and outdoor brick courtyard where beer lovers come to worship their favorite beverage. Church Brew Works takes their services seriously with a full beer menu and an Octoberfest celebration that runs from mid-Sep. through the first week of Oct featuring a wide variety of savory German foods including Jagerschnitzel, Hamburg Crab Cakes, Chicken Spatzel soup, and their award winning Ofest Lager. Other times of year, enjoy a full menu of tasty bites and, of course, award-winning craft beer.
9. Strange Roots Experimental Ales
Pittsburgh
Strange Roots Experimental Ales exists at the intersection of farmhouse brewing tradition and creative, locally driven experimentation. With locations in Millvale, New Kensington, and Gibsonia (the site of the actual brewery), they have not one, but three beer gardens, each with its own unique restaurant partner offering a full menu of delicious food. Using local ingredients, varying fermentation methods, and micro flora, they create unique artisan ales that are sure to please.
10. Benny Brewing Co.
Wilkes-Barre
Boy oh boy does Benny Brewing Co. have options. With a selection of 12 craft brews on tap every day and all brewed onsite, including their four flagship beers, four seasonal, and a variety of “special release” beers showcased throughout the year, your taste buds will never be bored. Their food menu is loaded with fresh, handheld favorites that pair perfectly with any one of their delicious brews. Elevate your experience on a beautiful afternoon or evening enjoying Benny’s outdoor beer garden.
11. Thirsty Farmer Brew Works
Biglerville
Quench your thirst at Thirsty Farmer Brew Works with its seemingly endless selection of ales, lagers, handcrafted ciders, and nine beers on tap at any given time. Many of their beers and hard ciders are brewed from the seven varieties of hops and more than 30 varieties of apples grown on-site. At this family-owned brewery, you can sit back, relax, and soak in the simplistic beauty of farm life with a drink in one hand and their light, fresh fare in the other on their heated outdoor patio.
12. Oliver’s Beer Garden
Erie
Located on the waterfront, Oliver’s Beer Garden offers great views of Lake Erie that are as impeccable as the craft brews and curated cocktails, served alongside delicious food items from their food truck, with popular local musicians and bands performing on select nights. Shipfaced from Rusty Rail Brewing is their signature brew, we swear!
13. Levante Beer Garden at Highlands Orchard
West Chester
Now through the end of October, the 200-acre working farm of Highland Orchards is partnering with Levante Brewing Co. for the Levante Beer Garden. Featuring a wide selection of Levante's inspired craft beer on-tap along with several single can "crack 'ems," the beer garden is open weekends and is family and dog friendly. Before settling down, partake in farm fun with pick-your-own experiences, hayrides, aMAZEing Corn Maze, and their farmers market. Then, reward yourself with some craft beers and tasty selections from the farm’s deli or a food truck.
14. Voodoo Brewing Company
Meadville
Founded in Meadville in 2005, Voodoo Brewing Company now has nine locations in PA offering righteous relaxation and smooth suds. Their award-winning, handcrafted beer isn’t produced by magic — they take pride in paying attention to detail and using only the freshest ingredients.
15. Mechanistic Brewing Company
Clarion
Science is king at this family-run nanobrewery. Housed in a renovated garage, Mechanistic Brewing Company rolls up the door to a large outdoor space that often features food trucks, live music, and pop-up events. This small brewery focuses on the chemistry of its recipes to recreate traditional beers as well as concoct modern styles, giving you plenty of opportunity to try something new!
16. Lost In the Wilds Brewing
Shippenville
Getting lost in the woods isn’t so bad when you stumble across this brewery. Lost In the Wilds Brewing is located along the Rail 66 Country Trail and offers house-made craft beer and PA wine and spirits that complement food truck fare and make you feel at home. Use the brewery’s seating in their spacious outdoor area or feel free to bring your own chair, picnic blanket, and lawn games.
17. Walnut Garden
Philadelphia
Experience the charm of Rittenhouse Square at Walnut Garden, a family-friendly “cocktail garden” serving delicious cocktails, draft beer, wine, and several non-alcoholic beverages for your non-imbibing family and friends. Their inventive food menu is equally ambitious with bites and entrées, many inspired by Asian street cuisine and several gluten-free and/or vegetarian selections, along with a kids menu for the little ones and the Ice Cream Shack serving soft-serve in a variety of flavors. Enjoy the unique and stylish setting where discarded shipping containers, wooden pallets, and broken glass have been “upcycled” into beautiful works of art.
18. Bru Daddy’s Brewing Co.
Allentown
If you find yourself exploring the city’s downtown, The Garden at Bru Daddy’s Brewing Co. makes a brew-tiful pit stop. The Bavarian-inspired outdoor space offers authentic beer garden tables, an outdoor fire pit area, and an endless supply of brews for you and your crew. Pick from artisanal craft beers made onsite or their rotating assortment of traditional, new age, and seasonal lagers and ales, and be sure to check out their menu for specials and delicious, ever-changing dishes. Best yet, with overhead heaters and a retractable awning, their beer garden is open all year long!
19. Wallenpaupack Brewing Co.
Hawley
The Wallenpaupack Brewing Co. brews up award-winning beer with “lake” affection. The 14,000 square foot brewery and brewpub includes a beer garden adjacent to Lake Wallenpaupack, which serves as inspiration for their menu. Offering top-quality beer, they also serve up a laid-back, family-friendly vibe with picnic tables, yard games, and a kids’ menu. Don’t wade around – stop by and find out for yourself why they were awarded three Gold awards at the 2022 World Beer Awards Competition!
20. The Millworks
Harrisburg
Last but certainly not least, The Millworks offers a uniquely Central PA experience by putting local artistic talents and bountiful agriculture front and center. Sit atop the rooftop Biergarten Tuesday-Saturday evenings to enjoy expansive views of Harrisburg and the Susquehanna River while enjoying a seasonal cocktail, or sip an award-winning craft beer as you stroll the artist studios during one of their open house events. Downstairs, the indoor dining room and outdoor patio offer full dining menus of unique recipes made with locally sourced ingredients.
To discover even more breweries in PA, check out the visitPA website. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram for more PA inspiration. Don’t forget to sign up for our monthly Happy Thoughts e-newsletter so you never miss an update.